It has been customary in the past to attach a cover to the frame members of the support frame of the convertible top by adhesive bonding. The frame members are profiles or structural shapes having surfaces around which the flexible cover is stretched and to which the flexible cover is connected by an adhesive.
Since the adhesives used are frequently solvent-based adhesives, the use of the adhesive can create environmental problems and problems with respect to the health of the manufacturing personnel. Furthermore, the mounting costs, assembly cost and, in general, the fabrication costs are considerable since the adhesive requires special handling during the hardening phase and requires a certain time for the setting or hardening.
Furthermore, when it is necessary to replace the cover or to repair it and to remove, therefore, the old cover, all traces of the old adhesive must be removed. This is a time-consuming and difficult operation but must be completed before the new cover is applied.
Mention may also be made of techniques whereby the cover for a vehicle is applied with bows or the like utilizing a clamping operation. For example, the cover can be provided with a bead as described in the German patent 519,499, and clamped between two clamping surfaces along the beaded edge. In this case, the clamp can use a screw arrangement pressing the two surfaces against the bead.
A less complex arrangement which also uses a bead attached by stitching to the cover is found in German patent 599 270, in which the member to which the cover is to be anchored is formed with a groove complementary to the bead and into which the bead is forced.
While both of these latter systems use mechanical connection of the edge of the cover to the frame member, so that they do not manifest the drawbacks of an adhesive bonded system, the former requires a complex construction which is not esthetic while the latter depends upon a frictional trapping of the bead to hold the cover in place. This may be insufficient.